30 Years of Open Skies

[PiperOne]

Today sees the 30th anniversary of the first departure from GLA of Northwest 35 to Boston, heralding in a new era after the ending of the Lowland Airport Traffic Distribution Rules, which were introduced in 1969 to preserve Prestwick as Scotland's sole North Atlantic gateway. Northwest were followed during the month by Air Canada to Halifax and Toronto, American to Chicago, Canada 3000 to Toronto, and Worldways also to Toronto. Traffic wasn't all in the hands of US and Canadian carriers, with Air 2000 resuming their charters to Orlando, still via Bangor, but no longer needing the PIK stop to comply with the rules. Later in the Summer, BA introduced their service to New York JFK, while Globespan had a weekly Newark charter operated by American Trans Air on their ex-Singapore 757s.

A lot has happened in 30 years, when we were number 4 in the UK with 4.3m, to number 9 in 2019, with 8.8m.

[Canada12]

I remember flying to Toronto on a Canada3000 757.It was my first non widebody flight,but it was amazing.Since then it’s been Air transat 310 or 330’s. Can’t wait to fly on the A321’s into Glasgow.Roll on better days for everyone soon.

[Allen McL]

A lot has happened in 30 years, when we were number 4 in the UK with 4.3m, to number 9 in 2019, with 8.8m.

Interesting to think what some consider to be the halcyon days of GLA, saw less than half the annual passengers than what some today consider to be slim pickings.

[Clive]

A lot has happened in 30 years, when we were number 4 in the UK with 4.3m, to number 9 in 2019, with 8.8m.

Interesting to think what some consider to be the halcyon days of GLA, saw less than half the annual passengers than what some today consider to be slim pickings.

Yes this provides a reality jolt for those who need it. And although many of the routes we have have changed over the years and a plethora of smaller airlines have morphed into just a few bigger ones, we have a lot more destinations on the board now than then.

So we lost the likes of BOS and ORD but I can remember when pipe dreams consisted of dots on the map of the likes of LCY, CDG and BCN.

Nostalgia is great and we all have it but it never beats fact IMO.

C